Blood and Butter

“If you have been foolish in exalting yourself or if you have plotted evil, put your hand on your mouth.  For the churning of milk produces butter, and pressing the nose brings forth blood; so the churning of anger produces strife.”  Proverbs 30:32-33

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.  It is better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.  He who gives attention to the word shall find good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.” Proverbs 16:18-20

As a child we had a magical butter churn, like the one above.  Daddy would bring home special raw milk and we would each get an opportunity to turn the handle.  It took forever and many a ‘are we there yet’ moments prevailed with our eagerness to see the magic work.

The words ‘churn’, ‘twist’ and ‘stir’ all originate from the same Hebrew word ‘mis’.  It means to squeeze or wring (the last stage of making homemade butter is wringing out all the liquid from the butter).  The word occurs only here in the Old Testament. 

God uses the illustration of how butter is made -- by churning milk -- with how anger in our hearts stirs up trouble (represented by a nose bleed from someone twisting our nose).  In the end, it warns us against pride that churns into anger and fights against humility (the theme of Proverbs 30).

Take care with love, especially His, from Darlene, who still prays for you each day.